"KNIT a Network! Researcher Exchange Meeting" is an event that invites various guests to talk about their lives, work, and other topics related to the diverse jobs involved in university administration, using an interview format.
This time, a role model roundtable discussion (held online) led by Professor Noriko Nagahori, Specially Appointed Professor at the Hokkaido University Diversity Research Environment Promotion Office, took place during lunchtime on Thursday, July 2nd.
Under the theme of "Let's enjoy the unexpected!", Professor Nagahori shared three "unexpected" events in his life (① from university researcher to government, ② from government back to university, ③ starting a bio-venture company). We also heard about his encounters with people, how he always thinks ahead to avoid missing opportunities, and anecdotes about his family who share his life with him.
Questions from participants were collected both during pre-registration and in real-time via chat on the day of the event. In the chat, we received a variety of comments from participants, including questions about how to divide household chores within a family after hearing Professor Nagahori's anecdotes, and expressions of admiration for Professor Nagahori's decisiveness in changing jobs.
Furthermore, the chat-based communication format seemed convenient and received positive feedback in the survey.
Although it was our first online event, we received feedback such as "I was able to easily participate during my lunch break," "I was able to hear from career professionals and had a meaningful time," and "I would like to hear from people with various career backgrounds." This encourages us to continue holding events in the future and has further strengthened our desire to meet everyone's requests.
Approximately 20 people participated in this roundtable discussion held via Zoom, including faculty and researchers from our university, as well as faculty, researchers, and staff from KNIT collaborating institutions and partner organizations.
Thank you for taking the time out of your busy lunch break to participate.
The next KNIT a Network! Researcher Exchange Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, July 16th.
We will announce the details via email newsletter and on our website, so we look forward to your participation!
